An Ode to the Club Sandwich, a Frequent Traveler's Taste of Home

Whether you’re in Bangkok or Boston, Los Angeles or London, there comes a time during every trip when you hit the wall. You’ve sampled enough bistros and pubs, and braved one too many street carts, and all you want to do is plop down on your ginormous hotel bed, turn on the TV, and order room service.

Now, I imagine there are some people who study the menu first, and others who go so far as to order the mango-glazed mahi-mahi with julienned vegetables. But I reckon I’m like most folks: I just ask for a club sandwich, the preferred choice of business travelers and tourists the world over.

Much of a club’s appeal is that you (usually) know exactly what you’re going to get. Specifically: three slices of white or wheat (lightly toasted; the bread should be pliant), mayo on each slice; iceberg lettuce (shredded, preferably); tomato (even out of season, I’m afraid); crisp bacon; and thinly sliced turkey. And not too much of any one ingredient–the sandwich shouldn’t spill out the sides when you bite into it.

Oh, and it’s got to be cut into four triangles, never in half. (Bonus points for frilly toothpicks.)

Of course, as our special May travel issue attests, sometimes you need to expand your horizons. When I worked at GQ, I traveled to Milan twice a year for fashion shows. On my first trip, I remember the moment when multiple days of Barolo, espresso, and prosciutto caught up with me. I retreated to my room and was thrilled to see that my hotel did, indeed, offer a club sandwich. What arrived 20 minutes later, though, took me by surprise. The hotel mixed Dijon with homemade mayo, used grilled chicken instead of turkey, included slices of just-barely cooked hard-boiled egg, and cut off the crusts.

It all seemed a bit dainty, but man, it was good. The egg delivered a welcome richness, the Dijonnaise offered a creamy tang, and the lack of crusts meant I could easily eat the sandwich with a knife and fork if I wanted to feel like some Euro bon vivant.

In the years since, I’ve enjoyed the European version on a number of trips. Is it better than what I get stateside? I won’t go that far. But what’s important is that when I need to take a (brief) break from food while traveling, home is just a button away.